Autism Resources for Educators

Please consider joining our free online Autism Helpline. Also, follow our Facebook page @MoProjectACCESS for updates. 

Following are some links we hope you find helpful and we will continue to add:

Official Information and Resources

• Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education - Special Education
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):  Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
• Missouri Autism Guidelines Initiative
• National Professional Development Center- Evidence-Based Practices

Educational Resources

• Autism Focused Intervention Resources and Modules (AFIRM)
• OCALI Autism Internet Modules (AIM)
• The Autism Helper- Sasha Long
• Teachers Pay Teachers
  • Autism Classroom Resources-Christine Reeve's Store
  • The Autism Helper-Sasha Long's Store
• Executive Functioning in online environments
• Control Alt Achieve list of Chrome Extensions for Struggling Students and Special Needs
• Distance Education with Canva; "With school closures around the world, Canva is supporting teachers, parents, and students when it comes to adapting to distance learning. We already have thousands of free templates and resources that you can use to plan lessons and keep students engaged and empowered."

Family Resources

• Missouri Department of Social Services - Missouri Services Navigator ("this resource offers instant access to available programs and services such as school meal programs for students, food banks, child care, diaper banks, counseling and organizations that assist with housing, transportation or utilities issues. There are currently over 2,000 services listed, with new services added daily. Users can search by keyword, location and/or service. Every program and service contains a map of the location as well as contact information").
• The Arc of the Ozarks
• Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence (OCALI) - Resource Gallery of Interventions
• Social Thinking free emotional support strategies for home

Resources en español:

• 10 maneras de controlar los síntomas respiratorios en el hogar
• Inforamación de COVID-19 Por y Para Personas con Discpacidades
• Resumen seminal de Understood: Recursos e información sobre el coronavirus
• Apoyando los Individuos con el Autismo en Tiempos Inciertos
• Autism Science Foundation - Recursos En Español
• OCALI - Narrativas Sociales Para Apoyar a Las Familias Durante COVID-19  

Helplines and hotlines

National Parent Helpline: 1-855-427-2736 (1-855-4A PARENT)

24 Hour Parent Helpline: 1-888-435-7553

National Crisis Hotline: 1-800-448-3000

Additional resources

Follow the rotating banner links below to access our resources.  In addition, you are invited to join us using social media, to peruse our curated list of web resources for educators, families, and special links from the Missouri State Department of Education, and to learn more about autism evidence-based interventions.

Project ACCESS Autism Minute

Project ACCESS Autism Minute videos are short (usually 5 minutes or less) instructional videos that provide information designed to add to your available autism resources. We'll cover a variety of topics, including evidence-based practices, strategies and core principles to increase Missouri educators' capacity to serve students who experience autism and other developmental disabilities. 
If you want to learn more about this topic and many more, please visit our Autism Training page to sign up for one of our trainings: Autism Training

The current Autism Minute features Edna Smith, Ph.D., who has served as Project ACCESS Director, Autism Resources Specialist, Missouri Autism Consultant and Autism Team Coach. In this video she discusses Basic Concepts That Every Autism Educator Needs to "Get": 

• "When the sensory system is calm,
• reinforcement is available,
• the environment is made predictable through structure and visual supports,
• and task demands are carefully designed,
• skills can be effectively taught and learned."  ~ Dr. Ruth Aspy and Dr. Barry Grossman